HT2434 Can a logic board, RAM, or processor core be compromised if an attacker gains root access?

If an malicious attack on my computer gained root access from a poisoned program (java applet, flash, unix executable) Could that attacker permanently poison my logic board/PRAM-VRAM or have access from the processor if everything else was (scrubbed)??
Someone gained keychain access on day one in the first 10-15 min. while I was setting things up thinking that the apple firewall was on by default. (Former PC user-oops) I was nailed by a vicious email attack-lucky that it only worked on the yahoo side and it was not opened by (mail) on my MBP. I was also nailed by a brutal PDF, Safari, Quicktime attacks while using Snow Leopard (Mid 2010) In OSX LION, someone was constanly changing my password after waiting for me to restore everything. Then it was a directory services hack. This is why I am concerned. I still see strange activity in console.
Thank you for your time! Mac is still enjoyable to use but the popularity has made it a huge target.

RAM is not the issue in a Mac Pro with Xeon processor, unless you get a distinctive kernel panic, machine check. Otherwise, every Read from memory is checked by Hardware and errors are corrected on the fly, with essentially no slowdown. In the Mac Pro silver tower or dark cylinder, Memory problems do not fester undetected.
panic(cpu 8 caller 0xffffff800d8dcc1d): Kernel trap at 0xffffff7f8df3d00c, type 14=page fault
      Kernel Extensions in backtrace:
         com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIArchitectureModelFamily(3.6.7)
         com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIParallelFamily(3.0)
            dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIArchitectureModelFamily(3.6.7)
         com.highpoint-tech.kext.ru1022(1.0.3)
            dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIParallelFamily(3.0.0)
            dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOPCIFamily(2.9)
         com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIBlockCommandsDevice(3.6.7)
            dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOSCSIArchitectureModelFamily(3.6.7)
            dependency: com.apple.iokit.IOStorageFamily(1.9)
Page fault is a reference to memory out of bounds (you do not own). It is most often caused by software.
If you remove the hexadecimal addresses from the stack trace as shown above, the list of what extensions were at the "scene of the crime" becomes much more clear. That is why I could see that your external (SCSI architecture) drives were implicated, and thomas_r. could call out the highpoint driver as being involved.

Similar Messages

  • Can a logic board destroy harddrives?

    Hey!
    I've posted about this issue in other posts, but the topic was regarding applecare.
    I have had 4 harddrives in my computer since the middle of august. The last hardrive was devoured by my computer while it was sleeping. It woke up while I myself was sleeping and proceeded to murder it, and this was a toshiba HD, very well made.
    Would you say this is just bad luck like the apple repair centres have told me consistently? Or can the logic board be at fault here? And if it is, how come I know that but the apple repair locations don't? It makes me feel like they don't even care about fixing my issue, just billing apple and hoping I come back again in the next 2 weeks with more problems.
    I called apple and opened a case with them and plan on taking the laptop in next week, but how will they know if the logic board is not regulating the hardrive properly? I'm really at my wits end, and if the harddrive goes again, I'm going to ask for a new computer altogether, because I think I've been pretty patient up until this point.
    I'll appreciate any comments!
    -Jarrett/

    I have heard of a bad logic board destroying things like firewire ports on the computer itself and on other devices like camera so I assume that it could damage the drive. If I was you I just would send it to Apple and see what they say.
    -Jared Ewing
    LJE productions

  • Kernal Panics/Logic Board/RAM

    My Powerbook recently died whereby I kept getting the "You must restart your computer message...."
    I ran the Apple Hardware Test and it appears that the issue is Defective or incompatible RAM, as many forum messages have expressed.
    Now this is fine, but I took it into my local Apple Shop who said that, given the particular specifications of the G4 12inch, RAM is split between Logic Board and somewhere else (sorry, I forget), and that I could only fix the problem by replacement of Logic Board AND RAM. Price quoted was £660. Quote was given without them turning Laptop on, although to be fair I had brought the Error Message in full into the Shop.
    So my question is, could it be possible that the Logic Board is not defective, and how do I go about testing this?
    I want to exhaust all avenues before I put this to bed, because given the Price quoted it would be nonsensical to get it fixed.
    Secondly, is there anyway I can extract all my photo's/music from my Laptop if I have to concede defeat on this?
    Cheers in anticipation,
    mcmikeyc

    Hi MC,
    Weidly, ran Hardware Test again last night before reposting and this time came up with following Error Message:
    2NVD/5/4: 2122
    Do anyone know what this message means?
    First thing I'd say was take it apart and examine the built in with a microscope. You'd be looking for bad/broken solder joints or solder "whiskers".
    I would be possible to replace it if it was a problem if you were in the states. We have people that do that here. I'm surprised it can't be done in UK or at least we haven't heard of people doing it.
    I've also heard of people running without it.
    It's right there on top of the board but the top case and the top shield has to come off.
    Therefore I need to replace logic board. Any ideas of cost (£660 seems high given that I could replace/upgrade Laptop for less)?.
    £660 seems outrageous!
    Even DT&T services would be cheaper it's just the shipping. How do these guys in Hong Kong do it? I just bought a iBook charger for $27 shipped. Shipping was like $4 from Hong Kong?
    Richard

  • Replaced Logic Board, RAM, and hard drive connecting wire, but Macbook Pro 15' (Mid 2010) now freezes and shuts down randomly

    I have a mid 2010, Macbook Pro '15. Summer of 2012, it kept shutting down and making the three beeping noises, so I took it in for repair. I was told that my Logicboard needed to be replaced, so I replaced it, and took my Macbook abroad with me. Halfway through the summer, the three beeping noises resumed, and since I was abroad, I couldn't use my 90 day warranty and take it back for repair. By the time I returned to the US, my warranty ended, and I was told that the RAM actually needed to be replaced. So I replaced that.
    In May of this year, my laptop wouldn't start and instead showed a folder with a question mark. I took it to repair and was told it was the hard drive wire that needed to be replaced, so I replaced that. Less than two weeks after, my Mac began freezing whenever I had a YouTube video or song playing- it made short, staticky sounds and then shut down. Now, it shuts down randomly even when I'm not playing videos or songs, and regardless of if it is running on battery or plugged in. Since I got my hard drive wire replaced, I've also noticed that the laptop takes an incredibly slow time to start up.
    The last the Genius Bar technicians looked at my computer when replacing the harddrive wire, they hadn't said anything else was wrong with my laptop.
    I've spent almost $1000 total fixing my macbook and am quite sick of going through this over and over again. Can anyone help me know what went wrong this time? (I have no apple care) Thank you in advance.

    Check to see if you've any panic logs -> http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2546.
    If so, post the text of the latest.
    Clinton

  • Power Mac G5 Dual 1.8 Problems / Failed Logic Board?

    Okay, it seems that many other people are having problems with the Power Mac G5. All I can really say to Apple is that I love Macintosh and the Power Mac G5 has been the greatest computer I have ever owned. It seems that the logic board is the main issue for most people. Maybe Apple still needs to work out some bugs, but one thing for sure is that it would really be nice if there were no more produced like this and that everyone gets their problems solved without going through it again.
    Well, my G5 stopped working about a month ago. I've been really lonely and sad too... It started that the computer would randomly start, meaning that I would have to power it up and down several times until it randomly start. Other people have had these issues too. And after about 2 days of doing this it froze and now it refuses to start. I've done everything I possibly can without being a technician. I have two video cards and switching them dosen't help, my monitor works, and when I take out the ram there's no beeping. No power to keyboard or mouse, can't reset firmware, or reinstall OS or run hardware test. I reset PMU, but still no luck. I've tested both my Superdrive and Hard Drive. They both work. I have a friend with a G5 and I put my Hard Drive in and it booted up perfectly.
    Fans are functional, they speed up after about five minutes with no chime at start up. Which the chime is supposed to indicate a hardware failure. My only clues are the logic board and the processors, possibly the power board. Though it seems to be the logic board most of the time. The big thing is, does Apple know what's causing this to happen to Apple fans and costumers?
    I saw an earlier post with a guy who bought the same G5 a year and a half ago with three year warranty and had the logic board replaced-three times already!!!
    Unfortunately my G5 is out of warranty. I bought it from CompUSA and someone had boughten it and decided to return, unused still. They gave me a the 3-year warranty extension program, but I could never activate it. I've had the computer about a year and a half myself. I bought it early June last year June 2004. But this was right before the new line-up came out. So it's the November 2003 model. It's ecspecially depressing that a week or two later I could of gotten it for $500 dollars cheaper and a newer model. Not to also mention the beautiful new Apple Cinema Displays that match the G5. Though I doubt that Apple with have any sympathy for me for not waiting a little longer. I love my G5 and I just want to hear the chime and watch my 20" Apple ADC Display turn on. I don't live anywhere close the any Apple Stores to take it in for diagnostics.
    So I'm really in a tunnel of doom. I'm thinking of buying the logic board from mac-pro.com for $700. I heard Apple wants a $1000, but I don't know. Though driving it in to the Apple store isn't gonna be easy for me. Even so, I'm afraid of how costly it will be. I need to know what's defective and needs replacement more than anything. I only wish there was some way I could activate my 3-year warranty extension program. Well, I suppose that's really enough of my pitiful crying.
    Does Apple or anyone care to help me? I would be forever so happy if I could get my G5 working again. Thanks to anyone who'll attempt to help. You too Apple.

    Hey Everyone -
    Have you looked into the iMac G5 repair exstension Program for video and power issues? Posted on Apples website....The iMac G5 repair extension program for video and power issues applies to the first generation G5 computers that have video or power-related issues as a result of specific component failure. If your iMac G5 is exhibiting any of following symptoms: scrambled or discorted video, no video, no power, your computer may be leigible for repair, free of charge. This article was posted on October 21, 2005.
    My computer was freezing up, not booting up, locking on the blue page, static looking when trying to boot up, etc. I took it in to the Apple Store yesterday, and they will be replacing the board within the next 2 weeks. Although my have an extended warrenty, the replacement program is avaliable for certain first generation iMac G5 models that were sold between approximatrely September 2004 and June 2005 freaturing 17- and 20-inch displays with 1.6GHz and 1.8Ghz processors.
    If Apple or an Apple Authorized Service Provider determines that your iMac G5 computer is eligible as part of the program, the repair will be covered by Apple for up to two years from the original date of purchase even if your iMac G5 is out of warrenty. This is a worldwide Apple program.
    It's worth looking up the article, it list the serial number ranges that apply. Worth a look!

  • Is it worth trying to get my MacBook Logic board fixed?

    I have a late 2008 MacBook unibody, 2GHZ, A1278, suddenly about 2 weeks ago, it just crashed and died (after over 4 years of beautiful service)
    When I hit the power button, I can hear the HD power up, but then power down again about 5 seconds later
    I brought it to CompuB (Apple authorised workshop in Ireland), and the guy said the logic board was gone!! he wasnt any more specific about what happened, just that it would cost around €1000 to replace.
    the visit to CompuB cost me €69
    I've seen/read that some places can repair Logic Boards! has anyone any experience of this, would it be worth taking a punt? I dont want to fork out another €50-€100 just for some guy to tell me it's totally fried!
    I've since upgraded to a new 21" iMac, so it's not essential the MacBook is fixed, but if I thought I could spend €200-€300 and get it working again, I'd go for it, as I really loved it!!
    Apologies if this has been brought up before, I'm new to this forum, and forums in general!
    Cheers.

    Thanks for the reply FatMac
    I agree with what you said,
    The OS is/was actually Snow Leopard (I think 10.5.8 was Tiger, I had updated to 10.6 a few years back)(my mistake for not saying this),
    I had also upgraded the RAM about 6 months ago from 2GB to 8GB, and gained a massive performance improvement - could this have been a factor in the Logic Board's demise?
    The iMac 21" will now be my primary mac, however it's a late 2012 model, so the RAM can't be upgraded (unlike the 27") (at least that's what Apple told me when buying it) (a decision I will probably rue in the future)
    I've also got a 2TB TC for back up, and I have loads of external HD's for storage( 2x 1TB, 1x 2TB, 1x 320gb).
    I've also just yesterday purchased a Mac Mini, to use an an entertainment system in the front room (I have a spare wireless mouse/keyboard now, so it would be a shame to not utilise them).
    So, if the macbook was fixed, it would probably see little use, but would still be used from time to time!
    as you mentioned, a connection is formed with a mac (sounds silly, I know, but it just is), and the thought of never seeing her light up again is an awful thought.
    I'll hang back for a while, and see how I get on, I got a quote from a place that say they regularly repair macbook logic boards of €250 to repair it, so I'll see how I get on, and if I happen to have a spare few €€€'s in my wallet some week, I might drop it in to them.
    Thanks.

  • Logic board exchange

    1)
    Can the logic board, processor, and heat sink from an FW800 DP 1.25
    replace those in a MDD 2003 single 1.25 unit?
    2)
    Are the boards the same? That is, will the dual processor and heat sink, install on the logic board in the MDD 2003?
    Thanks

    The only incompatibility might be between the logic board and the case. If you want to continue having access to the FW800 port, you'll need to either exchange rear panels or cut a hole in the panel of the FW400. Also, I don't think the built-in bluetooth can work in the FW400 case, at least not without some rewiring.
    BTW, why are you doing this exchange? If it's a power supply problem, it's easier to move the power supply from one machine to the other. The same probably goes for the power button or any other part on the front panel. If the FW800 case is totally messed up, it might be another story.
    Incidentally, it's very annoying that apple attached the portion of the case that holds the power supply, etc., to the portion that holds the logic board with some kind of rivets rather than screws. Several times I've wished that I could have just switched those major parts between two machines in order to isolate a problem.

  • Diagnosing HDD or Logic board failure

    Hi
    Im currently working in a country that experiences daily power cuts.
    The nearest Apple Store/Reseller is a flight away.
    My mid-2010 MBP 17" hasn't recovered from the last (the battery had already died)
    Here what Ive got:
    Doesn't boot from the original OSX DVD (which remains stuck inside for now)
    On start up, the screen stays blank, the power light winks, and I hear a faint "whirr...stop, whirr, stop..." and cant get any further
    (Recovery options dont come up of course)
    Im no expert at all and can only guess from what ive read here this could be Logic board, RAM or HDD?
    Is it time to look to make  art out of it?or is it salvageable in the future?
    (Data is backed up at least)
    All help and guidance appreciated

    That sound you're hearing is the MBP trying to read the DVD. The last few options in this list may help you get it out.
    http://guides.macrumors.com/Force_Eject_a_Stuck_CD_or_DVD
    Once out, try cleaning the lens with either a cleaning DVD or by carefully inserting a microfiber cloth wrapped around a credit card a few times.
    If you're not seeing anything on the screen at all and not hearing any beeps, I'd guess a motherboard rather than an HD or RAM, but try booting by holding down the Command and R keys to get to the recovery partition.
    If no luck on any of these, I'd still take it to the Genius Bar when possible for a free eval. Worst case, you can sell it for parts on ebay.

  • My old MBP (2005) often crashes, freezes or shows grey screen at start up. Also track pad often does not work. I have re fomatted the HD and reinstalled system but to no avail. Genius bar says possible faulty HD, but suspect logic board, any ides any body

    My old 17" MBP (2005) often crashes, freezes or shows grey screen at start up. Also track pad often does not work. I have re fomatted the HD and reinstalled system but to no avail. Genius bar says possible faulty HD, but I suspect logic board. All checks out OK on the Apple Diagnostic bench. Can a Logic board go intermittant?? Any Ideas any body??

    Ive repaired 1000s of laptops over the years (translate: diagnose and replace parts).
    Its not that old, Ive owned 100s of laptops (most were free) ....some I still have are nearly 13 years old and still perfect, ....some extremely expensive ones died in under a year.
    other than becoming obsolete at some point, there isnt really any "will spoil on" data like Milk for solid state computer parts, ....alas.
    You can have a $5000 laptop die in 4 months, and a junker one keep kicking after 10 years.... Ive seen that firsthand countless times.
    Common logic dictates that "very expensive = long life" in computers,..... but all the repair people will tell you just the opposite.
    I know you have a gripe, I get that all too well honestly .

  • Is it OK to Swap a Dual 1.25 Ghz Logic board with a Dual 1 Ghz one?

    I need to replace the logic board in my original Dual 1.25 Ghz MDD Powermac G4. I found one that came from a Dual 1 Ghz Powermac. The person selling it says that they are identical.
    Anyone know if it is alright to install the Dual 1 Ghz logic board with Dual 1.25 Ghz processors (and in the dual 1.25 case)? Thanks.
    Dual 1.25 Ghz MDD Powermac G4   Mac OS X (10.4.8)  

    I have a dead dual 1.25 MDD. Indications are that the problem is either the logic board or the processors. I have heard the MDDs are known to have more logic board failures that other Macs, so I am thinking about replacing that...
    Does anyone know how much could I expect to pay for the just the logic board?
    Power Mac G4 dual 1.25, MDD   Mac OS X (10.3.9)  

  • How can I tell if my motherboard and/or logic board is fried?

    Good evening all, I was just wondering if anybody can tell me the way to find out if my old power mac mobo is fried, or weather it's the logic board or the power supply. When I try to boot it up there is no start up chime, there is no white power on light and the red light doesn't even come on. It's one of those bad liquid cooled models but it hasn't leaked. I really don't have the luxury of spending a lot of money just to have someone diagnose the thing for me. I would be willing to replace the power supply for the price that was quoted to me off hand from an apple tech, but the person on the phone wouldn't let me talk to the tech so he wouldn't answer my ? and I despise the genius bar kids who don't seem to know the hard core techie stuff and I tend to talk circles around them. Sorry if there is already a post on this (I searched but came up with nothing) or if this is a dumb or fruitless effort on my part but no clear answers yet found in the magical internet.
    Cheers and thanks in advance for your responses!
    -Chief

    Can you count the beeps or flashes of the Power Button?
    1 beep = no RAM installed
    2 beeps = incompatible RAM types
    3 beeps = no good banks
    4 beeps = no good boot images in the boot ROM (and/or bad sys config block)
    5 beeps = processor is not usable
    In addition to the beeps, on some computers the power LED will flash a corresponding number of times plus one. The LED will repeat the sequence after approximately a 5-second pause. The tones are only played once.
    Note: In this case, a flash is considered to be 1/4 second or 250 ms or greater in length.
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1547
    Power Mac G5 (Late 2005) computers have six or seven built-in diagnostic LEDs on the main logic board that can help Apple Authorized Service Providers (AASPs) troubleshoot certain issues. These LEDs are located to the left of the top bank of DIMM connectors (where your computer's RAM is installed):
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2652

  • Can't boot G5,  bad logic board?

    G5 Dual 2.0 Ghz, 4 GB Ram
    Can't get past blue screen unless I boot in safe mode, then I can get in.
    Here's what I've tried:
    5 different boot volumes, including Tiger and Leopard and a clean install
    internal drives only, external drives only
    reseated ram
    zapped pram
    zapped nvram
    reset pmu
    booted in single user mode, gets stuck at workaround bonjour unknown error 0
    pulled out airport card, reseated airport card
    tried just about everything, always stops at the blue screen with cursor
    does this sound like a bad logic board or is there anything else I can try? thanks

    Dear Mr. Jarrett,
    Just analyzing: You're not able to boot normally from any installed system on any hard disk, but you can boot in the single user mode, are able to use AHT and the G5 even boots from the TechTool disk.
    However, you do not state you installed those five systems mentioned recently, so the question is: How stable is your computer booted from a DVD (grey install disk or the TechTool bootable disk and are you able to do a fresh system install now?
    I don't think your RAM chips are bad, but there could be a problem with (one of) the SATA cables connecting the hard drive to the logic board. Did you try both data cables (by using the second drive bay)? As you undoubtedly know a PowerMac cannot boot from an external USB drive, but having a bad internal data cable could also prevent starting up from a FireWire drive. And take a critical look at the four guide screws: are they well fitted?
    From your description I understand you own a dual processor and not the late 2005 duo core G5. These computers are very different animals indeed.
    Success and best regards,
    Robbert
    Message was edited by: Mechanic man
    Message was edited by: Mechanic man

  • Can logic board die slowly, or is it black'n white?

    My Macbook Pro 15" i7 of early 2011 seems to have a major problem related to the logic board.
    in a nutshell, in case you don't have time to read the details:
    The computer stopped starting up after quite a few restarts, AHT, PRAM reset, safe boots, new RAM and new SSD. This all happened withing 3 days.
    Apple service guys will look at it tomorrow, but they already said it's most likely logic board failure and will need replacement.
    the long story:
    symptoms I faced along the way:
    - less than two weeks ago, screen started freezing forcing me to force-shut down.
    - started repeating within hours, occasionally giving Kernel Panic message.
    - within a day, frozen screens had several varieties which would either come after a few minutes of working or at startup: blue screen with vertical bars of different shade blue, or same with yellow tones, or the last seen screen with a couple inches of the of the right side of screen having shifted to the left side with a thick black bar in between the two (i could still move the mouse for a while but not able to click).
    - started also having sessions where the computer would not start up at all (blue screen or gray screen with wheel turning)
    - in between these steps I ran the computer on safe mode mostly successfully, did Apple Hardware Test 3 times with nothing wrong diagnosed (took 18 mins each), I did PRAM reset a few times too
    - i tested these with different peripherals and power cable attached and not attached (normally i have a USB external and one or rarely two firewire drives attached for my video and photo work).
    I realized that the computer would still be working after the freeze too. I use the MBPro to share internet for my iPhone and while it was frozen I still had internet.
    I was following the suggestions on these forums to diagnose the problem.
    Some suggested that it could be the RAM.
    Coincidentally, the new 16 GB RAM that i had ordered came with the 246GB SSD just then.
    As warranty ended already some months ago, I did the replacement with my dad who is an electrician and would know where to touch where not to.
    The computer came back to life, super fast with the new SSD. I installed Mac OS X on it, set up the older HDD which I placed in place of the old DVD drive and started moving files around to configure my stysem.
    after several hours the screen freezing came back again.
    then after repeating the above steps of AHT (which took 2 hours), PRAM etc, it stopped starting up. It won't start anymore. Freezes in the early blue screen.
    Just before new year's, I took it to Apple Service in a local store. They said they will have to look at it thoroughly after the 3rd (tomorrow). But the guy said the symptoms which I wrote above pretty much tell already that the logic board is dead.
    Can it die in a slow manner like this?
    It will cost me at least 750$ and I am not even sure if shipment and labor is included in this (I live in Cyprus). This is a very expensive price to pay for a relatively new machine for which I already paid over $2000 when I bought it 18 months ago.
    I read Apple has a tendency to call all such symptoms a 'dead logic board' and just rip people off unfairly. I am aware this was mostly for 2007 and 2008 models but I worry they would still do it. I just spent my savings for the SSD and new RAM. So this is a major bummer.
    What would you all suggest for me to try? How should I talk to the Apple Service guys?
    is it better to just sell this 'as is' and try to get a new or properly working pre-owned one?
    Message was edited by: incagraphy

    seems like I wrote too long and no-one bothered to read and reply
    Sometimes some posts just seem to slip through the cracks... if you're taking your machine to an Apple Authorized Service Provider, and they simply 'reconnected' the logic board and you're still having problems, it sounds as if you need to get the logic board replaced. Since you're out of warranty and you, apparently didn't purchase the AppleCare extended warranty, the repair folks will charge you for a logic board replacement.
    $750 sounds a little steep, but if that's what it costs then it doesn't seem as if you've an alternative but to pay the price. I don't know about Cyprus, but I do know that in the US there is an Apple flat rate repair pricing scheme in which Apple will repair anything on the machine for less than $350. You might want to look at the article and ask one of the managers about this program and whether or not you could get the 'deal'.
    Good luck - sorry that you're having such a bad experience. Just let it be a lesson to always purchase AppleCare - particularly with Apple notebooks.
    Clinton

  • Apple says "logic board needs replaced" because MBP won't turn on w/o SMC reset but I think I can fix it; can you help?

    Hello,
    Less than a year after purchasing a brand new, early-2011 Macbook Pro (still covered under Extended Apple Care) and, sadly, only a week or two after finally upgrading to 8GB RAM, I returned to my notebook after taking a shower and watched it suddenly shut itself down. It has not been responsive to the power button since then (although, see below.. I think I can fix it).
    Genius Bar took one look at the visible moisture sensor you can see underneath where the RAM sits and declared it water-damaged. While I agree that either a short and/or corrosion is causing my MBP to malfunction, I don't believe it should void my warranty because the problem isn't that I spilled something on it.1
    I hope someone can give me some insight into fixing this myself. Apple says "the Logic Board needs replaced" (a common CS response, I've noticed) the water damage voids my Extended Care + that it'll be at least $1200 and several weeks. Here's the situation:
    MBP will not turn on just by pressing the power button. However, MBP consistently (every time) powers up when I do an SMC reset.
    I have it in verbose mode and it begins booting. But, it will invariably turn off without warning anywhere between 30 seconds and 8-10 minutes after powering up.
    MBP will not turn on just by pressing the power button. However, MBP consistently (every time) powers up when I do an SMC reset.
    I have it in verbose mode and it begins booting. But, it will invariably turn off without warning anywhere between 30 seconds and 5 minutes of powering up.
    Eighty percent of the time, it turns off during the pre-Xorg boot. However, I have also seen it fully boot, I log in, I'm able to peruse logfiles/etc. Safe Mode (holding shift) crashes early. Single-user mode makes no difference. PRAM/NVRAM/etc makes no difference. I can boot to the Recovery Partition but it turns off just the same (disk utility scan takes too long).
    I haven't been able to really test the Internet Recovery because the hotel wireless takes too long. I did boot into Hardware Test and it passed the basic and extended tests (although it seemed to just be testing the RAM integrity.
    I can boot from the optical drive with a FreeBSD 9 livecd and an Ubuntu 11.04 livecd. Of note is that the laptop shuts off consistently when FreeBSD begins the journaling services for the ZFS filesystem (every time).
    Here is where this leads me to believe I'm at (I am not dogmatic here and would appreciate any corrections or insight):
    It seems like there may be corrosive damage on the logic board but maybe it's isolated given the various consistencies in what's happening. It seems like whenever SATA is use, I lose power. When SATA isn't really used (the HW Test), the laptop has literally stayed on for days and days.
    I want to get in there and clean up any corrosion with 91% isopropyl alcohol (9% distilled, non-conductive water).
    I want to use a bootable OSX livecd with an "emergency console" so I can, basically, use boot options to step throught the boot process and see if I can isolate the problem.
    Here is what I'm uncertain about and could use guidance:
    Does any of this sound remotely reasonable to anyone who has been through this or am I delusional?
    Any tips on identifying and cleaning any corrosion?
    While I had made a bootable version of Lion via Disk Utility and a rescue disk with some third-party app, they are MIA and I don't have another Mac at the moment. Do I have any other options? Again, an install dvd is not exactly what I want -- more like a rescue dvd. I had read about some Apple Stores giving/copying bootable USB thumb drives like this to customers. But, I noticed that this is now on sale there for $80. I would use this like once and, ideally, could use my MBP to make more. $80 seems a bit much.
    I should be able to step through the boot process in a way like what's possible with FreeBSD, no?
    Anyone have any other specific troubleshooting tips?
    I really, reallly need my MBP back as soon as possible. I'd really appreciate any wisdom and insight! Thank you,
    -ryan                             
    To be totally honest, about 3 weeks prior I spilled some milk from cereal on the desk and a little bit got onto the battery. However, the notebook worked fine for the following weeks. I believe that the problems have been caused by ambient humidity ... I've been staying in a hotel that steams up the entire room when I take a shower. The windows are covered in water droplets so why wouldnt the MBP be affected? As noted, these problems began after I lingered in a hot shower.

    multiplryan wrote:
    To be totally honest, about 3 weeks prior I spilled some milk from cereal on the desk and a little bit got onto the battery.
    I don't think you have a case.
    You can replace the logic board yourself if you are a DIY'er and save some money.

  • Can a faulty logic board kill a hard drive?

    Could Apple's faulty Logic Board be the cause of my iBook's HD demise?
    I have an iBook G3, Power PC 750 @ 800 MHz, running Mac OS X 10.2.1. A year or so ago I had to send it back to Apple to get the logic board replaced because the one they originally put in was faulty. Since getting it back, the iBook's not been the same -- frequent crashes, failed start ups, Desktop folders displaced upon start up, etc., ad nauseam. Disk Utility showed no problems when I'd run the repair procedure. The Hardware Test CD that shipped with the iBook showed no problems either.
    Last week the iBook nose dived. Desktop folders were scattered, software programs weren't functioning correctly, and I couldn't move and/or trash folders. I ran Disk Utility again which now reported "Invalid Node Structure." It began rebuilding "B-Tree Catalog," subsequently reporting the disk was repaired.
    Upon restart, the symptoms worsened, and within an hour my hard drive no longer mounted. Using the install CD at start up (holding the "C" key, of course), I'd get the flashing question mark, then the screen would flash, then I'd get the prohibatory sign, then after a little bit the CD would start.
    Under Disk Utility my HD showed up as a generic Media, ATA, internal, Master something (whereas before it was a Sony something or other with one volume listed beneath). Nor could I re-install the OS X software because my HD didn't show as a destination disk.
    I performed all the start up key commands offered as solutions in these forums and elsewhere (pram, nvram, power unit reset, safe mode, single user mode, verbose mode, open firmware ala mode). Open Firmware would not show my HD when using the command to list the directories. I even got creative but to no avail (BTW, "fix-this-expensive-piece-of-junk" is not a valid Open Firmware command). I even took out the additional RAM chip that shipped with the computer. The problem persisted.
    Then I drove 2.5 hours and dropped $100 for DiskWarrior. Another 2.5 hours later DW was a "No go". Starting from the the DWarrior CD (holding the "C" key, of course), I didn't get beyond the "prohibatory sign." Alsoft's tech support Rep was very responsive, and offered various suggestions (thanks Marc!), and he finally concluded that there is an obvious hardware problem with my computer.
    I have no other FireWire computer running Mac OS X to use as a host to target my iBook (I have an iMac maxed out running 9.2.2 -- had to resurrect it from the dead as well - whole 'nuther dilemna!). So, I bought an external FW drive, installed the 10.2.1 software that shipped with my iBook, and ran DiskWarrior from there to fix my internal HD. Nothing. The HD doesn't show as a repairable drive. Obviously it's toast - burned, baby, burned.
    So I figured I could at least use the external drive to run the iBook. I then installed all the software from the "restore" CDs, rebooted, only to enjoy screens full of fine gray lines, and frozen screens, and screens of green and red and blue and purple and yellow lines. YUM!. This is the same junk that Apple supposedly fixed by replacing my logic board last year.
    My iBook is again useless, and six months beyond Apple's Logic Board Replacement Program's "3-year from date-of-purchase" criteria. Frustrated beyond explanation, I'm beginning to regret my decision to "Think Different."
    I apologize if this post comes across as a rant. That's not my intention. I'm very disappointed, and I wanted to detail my predicament thoroughly as to eliminate the "did you hold the 'xyz' key" responses. Trust me, I read and tried them all.
    All this said, I iterate my question. Could Apple's obviously faulty Logic Board be the cause of my iBook's HD demise?
    Also, is a Logic Board something I can purchase and replace myself?
    Thanks for your time.

    Hi, and welcome to Apple Discussions. I'm so sorry to hear of your troubles.
    Truthfully, I would question whether the iBook with both a dead hard drive and another bad logic board is worth the cost of repair.
    My hard drive acted up when my iBook G3 800 Mhz came back from its second logic board repair. I invested in DiskWarrior, and it brought it back a couple of times, but, ultimately, I had to do an Archive and Install to regain use of my computer. That was in July of 2004, and it's still working fine (knocking vigorously on wood).
    It is my belief that sometimes the trip to and from the repair facility for the logic board repair involves too much jostling for the hard drive to tolerate it well.
    If you really want to get it fixed instead of buying a newer portable, I would recommend that you check out DT & T Computer Services in Fremont, California. They do free diagnostics and will do the repair on the logic board for about the same amount you would have to pay to just buy one. They also do hard drive replacements/upgrades (scroll down on the page). I would ask for a little bit of a break on the installation fee for the hard drive if they have it open to repair the logic board, anyway. DT & T also gives a six-month warranty on the repairs.
    Good luck!.

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